Catharsis
by CFVY
Summary: A shortage of huntsmen and huntresses in the kingdom of Vale has pushed Team RWBY and JNPR to graduate far earlier than anticipated. Now, they live as full-fledged huntsmen and huntresses, dealing with everything from daily life, to odd incidents involving grimm. However, their biggest challenge yet lingers ominously on the horizon, and their lives will change forever.
1. Chapter 1

_"This is truly an unfair game."_

 _"But if my voice is reaching you, you can unlock the power to change the fate of your world."_

 _"...Weiss."_

 _"You have the power-"_

 _"Weiss!"_

* * *

A gasp was wrenched from Weiss's lips at the sudden assault on her senses. The loud voice ringing in her ears, paired with the blinding brightness of the sun, jarred her for a brief moment. The drowsiness she usually felt upon waking up vanished, soon being replaced by thorough agitation. The white-haired heiress frowned, hands grasping at the covers on her futon. The curtains of the small, cluttered room had been open wide, and Yang stood in front of them, beaming down at her. The heiress shook her head, looking irritably up at the blond.

"What are you doing!?" The white-haired woman demanded, a scowl present on her features. "My alarm clock was set for the proper time! Why did you wake me up?" Her interrogation turned into a scolding session, causing Yang's eyebrows to raise. Out of their team, they were the more mature of the group.

It had been Weiss who ensured that everyone was doing their homework and keeping up with their training. Of course, she assisted when necessary. But she refused to spoonfeed Ruby, or anyone else, the answers. She cared and encouraged with wisdom and grace. When Ruby grew idealistic and wrapped up in her own hero-complex, Weiss remained on the earth, keeping her grounded.

It was Yang who made sure everyone was eating and drinking. It was her who nurtured and cared with the wisdom of a mother, and the protectiveness of a lioness. It was she who dragged Blake out of her books and reminded her to eat dinner. When Ruby awoke from nightmares that plagued her, she whipped up a cup of warm milk, and stayed by her sister's side until she once again fell asleep.

"Blackout." Yang replied bluntly, crossing her arms. Weiss shook her head again, a bewildered expression settling on her features. She slid her legs over the edge of the futon, allowing her feet to hit the carpeted floor. Fortunately, the room was big enough to fit a dresser which she and Yang both shared. At this point, it wasn't uncommon to find Weiss sleeping in one of the blond's shirts. "Apparently some maintenance guys were doing work on power lines in the middle of town, when one of them went completely berserk. So I don't think the grimm had anything to do with it."

"I'm sure Ruby will want to investigate." Weiss replied, almost rolling her eyes at the thought. Although she had to admire Ruby's courage and desire to help the people, she also knew that they couldn't investigate and fix every single problem out there. "I mean, I wouldn't have an issue with checking it out. But JNPR might already be doing that, too. And no one has contacted us, right?" The shortage of huntsmen and huntresses was indeed affecting the kingdom. Weiss dug out an outfit for the day and turned to look at Yang, who gave a shrug.

"I sent Ren a text." Yang followed Weiss as the white-haired woman left the room. The heiress gave a small sigh, reaching her hands up to rub at her sleepy eyes. She walked down the stairs, almost shivering as her bare feet met the polished wooden floor. The sound of bacon sizzling in a pan and Ruby chattering made a smile lift to her face. Their house was small. But there was a happiness and a warm, familial domesticity that came with living together so closely. She would rather live in a small shack with her team, than remain in a mansion with her father and brother. "You look much better when you smile, Weiss."

The "click" of a scroll camera registered in Weiss's ears, and the woman turned to her teammate with an agitated huff, pausing in front of the bathroom door, right next to the living room. Yang's grin only widened at her visible embarrassment. The blond quickly put her scroll back into her pocket. Realizing that objecting to her teammate's comments would only earn her more grief, Weiss chose to remain silent and entered the bathroom, promptly slamming the door in Yang's face.

* * *

"I think we should at least head down to the police office and check it out. More and more of these incidents have been happening lately." Blake pointed out, stabbing a piece of bacon with her fork. The four of them sat around their quaint kitchen table. The faunus made sure to move her gaze across her partners, taking in their reactions to her statement. Immediately, a small smile lifted to Ruby's face, causing Blake to mirror the expression. Honestly, the younger girl was too pleasant and innocent for her own good.

Blake and Ruby shared a quiet connection. Whereas most others communicated through words, Blake was always able to silently pick up on what Ruby wanted, by observation of expressions and vocal tones. While she never directly replied to the younger girl's desires, she voiced her support at a later interval, causing the two older members to further take it into consideration. Ruby was their leader, but they were a functioning group, which required democracy and support from each other. It was a quiet, communicative relationship.

"I agree." Ruby nodded with a smile, taking a bite out of the egg sandwich she had made.

"Ren texted me back and said JNPR isn't covering the incident. So we might as well." Yang noted, putting her scroll on the table. "Better safe than sorry, y'know?" With that, the decision was sealed. Blake observed Weiss's silence, noting that the white-haired woman wouldn't dare object to something if all three of her teammates agreed to it. While firm in her beliefs and independent, the white-haired woman had grown to accept others' opinions and choices. She had come a long way since Blake had first met her.

"Ever since the attack at Beacon, everyone's been on edge, anyways. I think we need to go the extra length to keep the people safe." Blake added in, resting her chin on her hand. From across the table, Yang reached over and poked her eggs with her fork, lifting them up to Blake's mouth. The faunus's eyebrows furrowed, and she looked up at Yang with a displeased expression.

"C'mon, you gotta eat." The blond urged softly. Blake resisted the urge to give an exasperated sigh, giving in. However, she moved her head away from Yang's fork, choosing to continue eating with her own utensils. At times, Yang's coddling made her feel like a complete child. But she knew that the blond cared for her, and she was grateful for that. Yang cared, and that was what mattered. "Anyways, Blake's right. A bunch of older huntsmen and huntresses are gone, now. We gotta step up to the plate. That's why Beacon let us go early, right?"

"I still wish we could have stayed there longer." Weiss noted with a sigh. "But it simply can't be helped. The people of Remnant need people like us now more than ever. We can't ignore that."

"Yeah!" Ruby chimed, causing another smile to lift onto Blake's features. The dark-haired girl's pep never failed to lift the mood. The atmosphere in the kitchen immediately grew looser and more comfortable, straying away from the painful memories they all shared. "I mean, we still have people like dad and Uncle Qrow. But we're Vale's main method of defense, now. We'll head to the station after breakfast, alright?"

* * *

"By the gods, am I glad some huntresses decided to come down here." The police chief was a pudgy man with greying hair, but he had a friendly smile and bright, blue eyes. Weiss regarded him with a small grin, glad to be received so gratefully. "There's been so much commotion down here as of late. And since our resources are so scattered, we've barely had time to even think." The lack of huntsmen and huntresses in Vale had grown to become such a hindrance that huntsmen from other kingdoms had been called in, if Weiss recalled correctly.

"No need to fear, Team RWBY is here!" Ruby declared jubilantly. "We'll be glad to help in any way we can. Most of the trouble is being caused by those incidents, right? With people suddenly going berserk?" At her inquiry, the man nodded, his eyes moving downcast.

"I'm afraid so. We're unsure of the source, but a few of our sources have pointed us towards some criminal group in Vacuo. At a glance, they just look like the average drug ring. But they could still be responsible for what's happening. It's not uncommon for groups in other kingdoms to come to Vale." Vale's peaceful status was both a blessing and a curse, Weiss knew. On one hand, the public could feel safe ans assured. On the other hand, it only made it easier for other groups to travel in from other kingdoms to bring trouble. "Also, there have been rumors of shady activity in the red light district. People have recorded seeing odd, cloaked figures in the dead of night."

"I don't think an epidemic like this has ever been seen before, so anything could be possible." Blake remarked, crossing her arms with a thoughtful expression. "Mass hysteria is one thing, but individual people suddenly losing their minds and causing mass accidents is another."

"Exactly." The police chief nodded with a sigh, looking down at his desk. He suddenly bent over, opening a loud, creaky drawer and withdrawing a binder from it. "In here should be everything we have on the situation... which isn't too much. We've compiled a list of all the events thus far, and other odd witness accounts around the city."

"Thank you." Weiss reached forward, accepting the black binder with a grateful nod. "We'll be sure to comb over this very carefully. No matter what happens, please rest assured that we'll do our best to help keep the public safe. Should the police require our assistance, we'll be available twenty-four seven."

"I cannot thank you enough for your help." The man said, a smile brimming on his features. "We'll send you any additional information, should we get any."

And with that, their visit was finished. After exchanging brief farewells, the four young women departed from the police chief's office, heading out into the station, and then onto the streets of Vale. The people of the city busily bustled around. The early spring weather had blessed them with warmth and sunshine, making it an ideal day to spend in the park or at the pool. However, Weiss knew that neither of those options were available to them at the moment. There was work to be done.

"How about we swing by a takeout joint and then head home? Can't work on an empty stomach, y'know." Yang noted, earning a nod from Blake. "Plus, it's not like we'll have time to cook while we're looking through the stuff he gave us. That binder's pretty thick."

"Can we head by that sushi place?" Blake moved her keen gaze to the rest of her team, causing the corners of Weiss's lips to lift into a small smile. The cat faunus's fondness towards seafood was indeed comical and cute. The white-haired woman gave a brisk nod, clutching the thick, black book to her chest.

"I suppose there would be no harm in it."

* * *

"I can't believe she fell asleep already." Weiss sighed softly, her gaze moving over to Ruby. Said young girl was resting her head on her arms, fast asleep. They had been working late into the evening, however. So the white-haired woman knew she couldn't fault her for it.

"Can't get mad at her, though." Yang noted, sitting in one of the arm chairs with her feet balanced on the coffee table. In her hands, she held several important documents and pieces of paper, combing over them. An amused grin remained on her features. "We've been working pretty hard since this afternoon. It's about time we got some rest." The blond admitted, motioning towards Blake. The black-haired faunus was resting her chin on her hand, barely managing to keep her eyes open. Weiss shut the folder she was reading through with a sigh.

"Alright, take five, everyone." The heiress put the folder back on the coffee table, stretching her arms far above her head. She gave a small murmur as the joints in her back cracked in a satisfying manner, showing her just how long she had been hunched over in the same position. "Did you get anything useful, Yang?" She rested her head on the armrest, looking up to Yang with raised eyebrows. A small _thud_ drew her attention back to the coffee table, where Blake had just fallen asleep, her head on the wooden table.

"Not yet." Yang stood up from the arm chair, taking a pillow from the couch. She quickly lifted Blake's head, placing the pillow underneath it. "We'll wake up 'em soon. Maybe have coffee. It's like... what, eight now?" The blond questioned, lifting her gaze towards the clock.

"Yes. Yes it is." Weiss also stood up, heading towards the kitchen. "I take it we should start on dinner, then?" She had only learned to cook a short month ago. But with Yang and Blake's help (mostly Yang's) she had become a decent chef, capable of making some simple dishes. By no means was she a natural. If anything, her skill with it was sub-par (not that she would ever admit that). Yang had been the one to push her through, spending countless hours with her in the kitchen.

There was something big on the horizon, something towering and lumbering. Weiss hated that feeling, but it lingered nonetheless. No matter what, she would treasure these soft, daily moments. She would commit them to memory, in case she lost the opportunity to live with her team (her family) forever.


	2. Chapter 2

Sun beams slid through the gaps in the tree branches, shedding patches of light onto the forest floor below. A soft breeze floated through the area, carrying the scent of blooming flowers and growing grass. The large canopy caused most of the forest path to be covered in shade, something Pyrrha was quite grateful for. The heat would only exhaust them further. Their mission had gone without too many problems. There had been reports of grimm terrorizing livestock, and pillaging fields of crops.

It had been up to them to clear out the grimm in the area, which they had of course done without a problem. They were more than capable. Jaune was still learning how to become an adept fighter, but he was a skilled leader and tactician, capable of leading them in battle. More often than not, his keen eye caught the enemy's weaknesses before anyone else. He had a natural talent for it. In battle, victory wasn't dependent on physical power alone. Someone with the right wit and reflexes could easily overcome someone who exclusively relied on their brawn. He had come a long way since starting at Beacon, that was for certain.

"Good job, team. I gotta say, we really outdid ourselves out there," Jaune declared as they walked down the forest path, a smile on his features. "There were _tons_ of grimm, and we got through them without really any trouble at all." Not only was he a good tactician, but he also had grown as a leader. Pyrrha had ensured that while he learned, they supported him. A leader couldn't exist without teammates to lead. Of course, it helped that none of them were particularly impatient. Despite how energetic and antsy Nora could get, she wasn't a demanding person. Unless it came to Ren's cooking.

"I find it hard to believe that the local warriors were so troubled by the ones we fought," Ren commented, moving his gaze away from Nora, who was eagerly typing away on her scroll. "They were relatively weak, at best. Though, I suppose we shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth."

"Exactly," Pyrrha said with a grin. "It's much too easy to worry. I'd suggest we head back to the city and relax for a few days. We did what we could. It'll be up to the detectives and warriors to investigate from here," It was then that the redhead realized just how silent Nora had been during their trip. Their most energetic teammate was usually so bubbly and vocal, that it was hard to _not_ miss her incessant chattering. Pyrrha turned her attention to Nora teammate, watching her eagerly type away at her scroll. "Are you alright, Nora?"

"She's been caught up in one of those mobile games," Ren explained, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "I still don't see the appeal of them."

"Well, _excuse me_ if I want to have a little fun," Nora's cheeks puffed up into a pout. The bubbly huntress looked up from her screen, exiting out of the app with a huff. "We hardly even have time to be at home these days, so phone games are much easier to play! Trust me, if I could bring an entire console with us, I would!"

"I can't argue with that. Though, we should have a few days off once we get back home," Jaune reasoned. In all honesty, Pyrrha was relieved that they would be back in the city for awhile. She had always wanted to defend the people and help save lives. At the same time, she knew she wasn't invincible. All humans needed rest and relaxation. "We should go see a movie or something when we get back."

"It's certainly been too long since we've enjoyed any leisure activities." Ren quickly vocalized his agreement.

"Absolutely." Pyrrha's gaze softened at the thought of acting like normal citizens again. She had always been destined for the life of a huntress, but there were points where she wished for a stabler lifestyle. She couldn't have both, though. Knowing that she was keeping the people safe was more than enough for her, even when her bones and muscles grew weary from hours spent on the battlefield.

"We should go see that new sci-fi movie!" Nora chirped merrily, a new bounce to her step. "I heard that the special effects are out of this world! Ruby was telling me that she's never seen anything like it! We can get tons of popcorn, too. With lots of butter!"

"Nora, I heard that movie was terrible," Ren raised his eyebrows, a frown quickly forming on his features. "Visuals aren't the _only_ aspect that matters," Another pout quickly formed on Nora's face, clearly displeased at the criticism. "And don't get me started on how bad movie popcorn is for you."

"Well, some movies are so _good_ that they're _bad,_ y'know?" Jaune voiced his opinion with a contemplative look. "Like, funny bad. I think we should give it a try."

"Yeah, _mom._ " Nora teased, playfully nudging Ren with her shoulder. Despite her sarcastic tone, she still looked cheerful as ever. Over the time they had spent together, Pyrrha had come to know that Nora didn't have a mean bone in her entire body. The only time she would lash out was when a friend was threatened. It was truly a blessing to have the hammer-wielding girl on their team. She seemed to gel well with just about everyone, despite her constant flow of energy.

Perhaps the conversation would have carried on, if not for a jarring, unpleasant noise from a nearby clearing. A shrill, child's cry echoed through the trees. Immediately, the redhead raced forward, towards the source of the scream. Perhaps a farmer's child had wandered too far out into the forest. It wasn't uncommon for foolhardy children to bite off more than they could chew. Pyrrha had once been in their shoes, so eager to get out into the world and explore.

The stray twigs and leaves scratched at her arms and legs as she ran, but she paid it no mind. The footsteps of her teammates behind her gave her confidence and the courage to move forward. The tall trees broke out into a wide, open clearing. Unevenly tall patches off grass were scattered throughout the area. But what drew her attention was the small, crouching child in the center.

It was an instinct to hurry forward, crouching in front of the girl.

"Hi, there." The redhead murmured soothingly, relief washing over her when the child lifted her face. Thankfully, she didn't seem to injured. The little girl had red pigtails and wore a yellow sundress. Her wide, blue eyes were swollen with tears. "You're alright. You're safe now." Though devastated and fearful, the small child seemed to be alright. At the sight of Pyrrha's face, she seemed to calm.

The grass crunched behind her as the rest of her team arrived. However, upon seeing three more tall figures, the girl seemed to become even more distressed. Too quickly, the child began to wheeze and seize, her eyes and pupils blowing up wide.

"We need to get her help!" Pyrrha reached down, aiming to lift the child up. Surely there would be a hospital or clinic at the upcoming village! Before Pyrrha's touch could even reach the kid, the child's eyes turned an inky black. It was Jaune who thought faster, reaching up to grab Pyrrha shoulder. The blond tugged her backwards, only to be met with a claw to the shoulder.

A horrible transformation was occurring before the team's very eyes. Black goop leaked from the girl's eye sockets, staining her face with grotesque slime. Her skin morphing into a sickly grey, darkening to a pitch black. The child's cries didn't stop, though. Instead, they raised to horrible shrieks as she grew extra limbs, her face contorting into that of a Beowulf's. There was very little time to react to the horrible sight, though. Snarls echoed through the forest, and thundering paw steps could be heard.

Pushing past the shock, the four withdrew their weapons as a wave of grimm arrived.

Pyrrha was the first to lunge forward, sending her shield into the face of the closest beowulf. The projectile made contact and bounced off of the grimm's face, causing it to give a pained shriek. From there, it hit another grimm in the flank, knocking it to the ground. The redhead slammed her javelin into the first grimm's skull, before decapitating the second with a lean strike.

"Watch out!" Pyrrha turned as Jaune leaped in front of her, holding his shield up to block an oncoming ursa. He managed to divert the massive paw strike, reaching his sword up to cut the beast's head off. Months ago, he would have simply tried to overtake the beast. Redirecting movement to knock a bigger opponent off their balance was a much wiser decision.

Pyrrha summoned her shield once more, following Jaune as he lead an attack on one of the larger beowulfs in the group.

A few yards away, Nora sent several grenade blasts towards the other side of the horde, downing two of three of the weaker creatures. A large beowulf reared up behind her, only to be shot down immediately. It floundered helplessly under the rain of bullets, before Nora ended its misery with a strong strike to the head. Ren covered the huntress from above, eliminating any grimm that dared get too close to her. While the other three team members were best suited to close-combat, Ren was better for attacking from the shadows.

Thankfully, the enemies' numbers already seemed to be thinning. Pyrrha didn't give herself too much time to be grateful. Instead, she rammed her shield into an ursa's face, tilting the massive beast upwards and allowing Jaune to stab his sword into it. The beast roared in pain, shoving Pyrrha off of it. The force behind the motion nearly caused her to stagger. A nearby beowulf, seeing her vulnerability, lunged forward, only to receive a swift hammer to the face and several well-timed shots from Ren.

With the death of the final ursa, the clearing was once again secured. The four fighters caught their breath, steadying themselves. Pyrrha moved her gaze across the other three, relief washing over her when she realized that none of them had been severely wounded. It was Jaune who spoke first, his voice breathless and exhausted.

"Let's... get out of here." They could discuss what they had seen later. Now that the adrenaline of the fight had faded, it was clear that they would need to look into what they had discovered. A human transforming into a grimm was absolutely unheard of. Not only was it unnatural, but it was beyond disturbing. In her short life, she had killed countless grimm and seen her fair share of atrocities. But she had never seen anything so terrible happen to a _child._ Even if the girl had been a mere illusion meant to lure them in... the screams had been too real to forget.

With that, Team JNPR hurried out of the clearing, and out of the forest. Pyrrha was more than happy to leave. The sweet aroma of flowers had been tainted by the reek of carnage.


	3. Chapter 3

**author's note:**

Thanks to those who read, favorited, reviewed, etc. But especially to those who reviewed. Feedback is the number one way to encourage writers, whether you send a single sentence or multiple paragraphs. Favorites and follows are nice and all, but nothing motivates writers like actually hearing that people like what we do.

I've decided to respond to reviews at the start of each chapter.

 **blaiseingfire:** Thanks you!

 **Guest:** Yes! When I started this story, I had started Persona 5. I'm glad you picked that up. The beginning narration of Chapter 1 was definitely a reference to Persona 5.

* * *

Vale was a stable nation, unified by peace and the huntsmen who so bravely guarded its borders. Sun had grown up hearing about the other kingdoms. There was rarely a suppertime when his father wasn't complaining about Atlas's greedy nobles, or how horrible Mistral's working policies had grown during the last couple of years. Whether these claims were true or not, Sun really couldn't say. What he could say was that his father rarely ever mentioned Vale.

His father had grown up in the harsh deserts of Vacuo, during a time when the state of the nation was worse. Events from the man's childhood to his adulthood had robbed him of any optimism. Having to compliment anyone would put a dent in his pride. Sun could not recall ever seeing the man smile for the life of him. Perhaps that's why he had turned out so lackadaisical, to make up for what his father wasn't. Back then, he had taken his father's silence regarding Vale as a simple compliment. He had maybe inquired about moving to Vale once during his early childhood, but even then he wasn't close to his father. It had been difficult for his father to hold a conversation with a child. Not wanting to stain his son's attitude with pessimism, Sun's father had simply remained at a distance.

Now that Sun was actually in Vale, he was able to see the kingdom's peacefulness with his own eyes. There was an air of calm that seemed to envelop the entire kingdom. The locals were constantly at ease, confident in the abilities of their protectors. The tall buildings and lush parks were a great contrast from Vacuo's unforgiving deserts and vicious wildlife. He still couldn't deny that the peace left him in a weird state of restlessness. But he had a feeling that a storm was brewing. The mental shutdown incidents were definitely shady. Coupled with that, the city was just way too quiet. Was he just too used to there being foul play? Too paranoid? Or was this peace really natural?

"Earth to Sun," A voice droned, carrying an amused undertone. Neptune's gloved hand lazily waved in front of his face, snapping him out of his thoughts. "What's up, man?" Sun took a brief moment to look around, noting the absence of Scarlet and Sage.

"Just thinkin'," He admitted, stretching his arms above his head. The muscles gave a satisfying 'pop', having been stiff from lack of use. "About the accidents recently and everything. Hoping Ruby gets to the bottom of it."

"You said that yesterday, and the day before. Pardon me, but you usually don't 'think' this much," Neptune drawled, pointedly raising an eyebrow. Sun felt an indigent expression rise onto his features before Neptune was even done talking. The blue-haired man rested a hand on his hip, tilting his posture. "There's been something on your mind. You should really be letting the rest of us know about it."

Sun would have argued with anyone else. But this was Neptune. As goofy as he could get, would be able to tell if Sun was lying before the words even left his mouth.

"I'll tell you all after tonight. We're supposed to be having fun tonight, and I think we would literally break Scarlet if we talked about working right after getting back from a mission." Sun pressed his back against the brick building he had been standing in front of before, moving his gaze up and down the street.

They had only returned from their previous mission that very morning. Scarlet, having taken several more injuries due to falling into a pit trap, had pouted until they all agreed to go out for crepes during the evening. After eating dinner, they had hurried out of their small abode and into the streets of Vale, making a beeline for the entertainment district. Sun turned his attention away from Neptune for a moment, looking down towards the crepe stand. He could clearly make out the backs of his two teammates in the front of the line, both stood taller than most of the other customers. Satisfied with the find, he turned his head back around.

"Sound good… Neptune?" In the two seconds he had looked away, the blue-haired man had walked across the street and started to chat with a young blond woman. Sun gave a hassled sigh and rolled his eyes, turning back to his two other teammates, who were already on their way back. Neptune had always been a ladies' man. There was really no helping it. Besides, he had worked hard today. The least Sun could do was let him have his fun."Bout time you two got back." He eyed the delicious pastries in their hands, noting that there were three. "C'mon, dude. I know you're mad but you're not gonna eat all of those in front of me, are you?"

"Of course not," Scarlet scoffed, handing Sun one of the wrapped crepes. The faunus felt a grin split across his face as he greedily grabbed the pastry."I'm not as stingy as Neptune is with his dosh." It was clear that Scarlet was still holding a grudge. During the last mission, it had been Neptune who insisted one of the paths was safe. After walking down said path, Scarlet had fallen into an old pit trap. Getting him out of it had taken them an hour. Sun felt amusement well up in his chest, which was only overcome by concern for his teammate. "Where is the bloody fool, anyways?"

"There." Sage nodded his head towards their teammate, who was still avidly chatting with a girl who had caught his attention. Scarlet gave another miffed noise.

Sun, perhaps too tired to get caught up in the petty quarrel, simply turned his attention to the pastry he had been generously gifted with. He wasted no time, taking a large bite… Only to choke and splutter as an unfamiliar, horribly spicy taste filled his mouth and stung his throat.

"W-What the hell is this!? Are you trying to kill me!?" The blond stuttered and huffed, trembling with the effort it took not to double over as the concoction burned all the way down to his stomach. Sage wasted no time, taking a step forward and grabbing the carefully wrapped pastry from his hands.

"Oh, my bad. That one is Sage's," Scarlet clarified, unaffected by his leader's theatrics. "And as for your last question—don't be daft." Sage merely plucked the crepe from Sun's grip, while the latter gave him a horrified stare. "Anyways. Don't we have important things to discuss?"

"Like what?" Sun's nose wrinkled, his eyebrows furrowing. Scarlet frowned again, an agitated look crossing his petite features.

"What do you mean, 'like what'!? You were the one who mentioned it in the first place!" Scarlet snapped, taking a large bite out of his crepe. Sage stood by passively, simply listening to the exchange. His gaze was fixated on Neptune, who had not yet moved to return to the group.

"Oooh, yea..." Sun smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Uhh, I kinda wanna talk about it tomorrow. We just got back from a mission. I wanted to give us all a chance to relax, y'know?"

Any reply that Scarlet would have made was cut off by a loud, horrible scream coming from across the street. Suddenly, passerby were fleeing the area. A crowd of people rushed away, chaos erupting all across the avenue. Among the throng of individuals, Sun's gaze sought out Neptune. The blue-haired man was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a large, gruesome creature where he had been standing before. A gigantic, black beast made of tentacles had suddenly emerged. It was quadrupedal, with slimy legs as thick as tree trunks. At a closer look, it had canid features, with a long snout and crooked, sharp teeth.

"Scarlet, head to the back!" In an instant, Sun had reached for his weapon, readying it. The redhead didn't move, staring up at the horrid monster with wide eyes. "Scarlet!" Sun's frantic yell snapped the redhead out of his trance. As fast as he could, Scarlet bolted backward, leaving Sage and Sun to hold their own. Had Neptune head off with that woman?

Sun didn't have time to think about it. A massive tendril came crashing towards him, prompting him to roll to the side. The appendage collapsed to the ground, creating deep cracks in the sidewalk. Sage's sword came down upon it, cutting it cleanly off the monster. The creature gave a loud shriek, snapping its jaws towards the green-haired fighter. Before it could even reach him, a trident buried into its skull. Neptune leaped into the fray, managing to balance atop of the monsters head for a second while he retched the weapon from the monster's head.

"Neptune! Where the hell were you!?" Sun shouted, battering one of the creature's legs with his staff. He was forced to leap back a moment later, sucking in a deep breath. He ran to the beast's other side, a wave of oily black tendrils pursuing him.

While its attention was occupied, Sage sliced at its legs, dividing its attention.

"That girl!" Neptune seemed to stutter and gasp, utterly out of breath. When he stabbed into its back haunch, his hands trembled around his lance. "She turned into that monster!"

"What!?" Sun whacked his staff into its right haunch, causing it to howl and buckle. As large and intimidating as it was, the creature seemed unaccustomed to fighting. "I know that you hate it when girls reject you, but that doesn't mean you can call them monsters!"

"C'mon man!" Neptune howled, almost sounding pained. He stabbed his lance into the creature's chest, causing it to give a wheeze. Sun, having realized that the threat was neutralized, jogged up to him. Now that he was closer to the grimm, he could hear its teeth clattering. On second thought, he could hear it speak.

"godisgreatgodisgreakgodisgreatgodisgreat..." It repeated the mantra again and again in a rapid, wheezing voice. The desperation in its town sent a shiver down his spine. Even as the monster evaporated, he remained frozen in place, watching it disappear... The spores, however, melted into a puddle on the ground, causing Neptune to let out a repulsed noise. Sun watched in disgusted awe as the inky black puddle moved with purpose, melting down a sewer grate and disappearing.

"What the hell was that?" Sun breathed, barely able to speak. He had never seen something so repulsive. Neptune remained uncharacteristically silent, face pale and hands clenched into fists.

"I'm telling you, she-she turned into that thing," Neptune spoke quietly, turning to Sun with wide eyes. Sun had never seen him so shaken. It was unnerving. Sage and Scarlet approached, side-by-side. "I've never seen anything like that. It didn't even look like the normal grimm."

"Dunno what the hell it was," Scarlet agreed solemnly, putting his hands into his pockets. "But it sure as hell doesn't belong here."

"He's right," Sage said, quiet. His eyes were focused on the ground, where the monster had dissolved. "They don't die like that, either."

Sun took a deep breath and distanced himself from his own desires. When he looked around at his teammates and he saw uncertainty. He saw fear. A year ago, he would have laughed it off and waited for the actual huntsmen to get there. He would have waited for the people in charge, knowing that he and his teammates were perfectly safe. But everything was different now. They were the huntsmen. They were the people in charge of this kinda stuff. They were too young for this, Scarlet had said at the beginning, and continued to routinely say.

Sun knew he was right. They just didn't have any other choice. The shortage of huntsmen and huntresses after the massacre had pushed their graduation early. They had no other option. Keeping the people safe was their job now.

And it was Sun's job to make sure his teammates were safe.

"...We need to talk. Like, all of us," He turned to the other three, just as sirens started to blare in the distance. Medical staff and law enforcement would be on their way. Sun still wasn't used to giving the police mission reports and testimonies. He had thrown a banana peel in an officer's face not even two years ago. "Every team in the city right now."


End file.
